iQmetrix: The Customer Is Always Right?

Chris Street; Darren Meister; Tracy Thibodeau

Product #:9B16M028

Supplier:Ivey/Hill

Discipline:Entrepreneurship, General Management

Setting:Canada, 2015

Details:Case (PDF) • 10 pages • 2016-02-26

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In 2015, iQmetrix, a company founded in 1999, developed and sold point-of-sale (POS) software using the software-as-a-service model. Two iQmetrix enterprise account managers were discussing strategies for closing a software subscription deal with a large customer who asked for significant customization to be completed before the deal could be signed. The customization appeared to be critical for the customer, and the account managers thought the added functionality might be valuable for the rest of the company’s customer base. iQmetrix’s product was specialized for use by mobile wireless retailers, and the company was the current market leader with approximately 60 per cent of the POS market in Canada and the United States. The company’s executives now needed to make a decision. Should iQmetrix commit to the customer’s request for significant customization?

Learning Objectives

This case is recommended for use in an innovation course to illustrate the following learning points:

The role of a product manager in facilitating customer requests within the development process for new products.
The transition of a firm from a startup that is eager to acquire new customers and revenue to a larger firm with a more disciplined process.
The issues at play when deciding whether or not to acquire a new customer.

iQmetrix: The Customer Is Always Right?

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Learning Objectives